Bottle-stopper.



F. L. SIEGEL.

BOTTLE STOPPER.

APPLICATION FILED APB..1B,1913.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

A TTORNEY WITNESSES FREDERICK L. SIEGEIJ, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOTTLE-STOPPEZL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 16, 1913..

Application filed April 18, 1913. Serial No. 762,104.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK L. SIEGEL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle Stoppers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive form of bottle stopper, which, while not interfering with the pouring of the contents of the bottle, will effectually serve to prevent refilling of the bottle.

My invention accordingly consists in combining with a spherical valve for controlling the flow of the contents of the bottle, a pivoted valve closer or controller, weighted so as to have a swinging movement with respect to the bottle neck when the bottle is tilted and arranged to hold the spherical valve positively closed until the bottle has been turned to a predetermined posit-ion, and the controller preferably has a depression or concavity which is presented to and receives the spherical valve when the bottle is in position for pouring. In order that the spherical valve may be flotative, and thus serve to prevent the infiowin of liquid in which the inverted mouth of the bottle is immersed, it is preferably made hollow. In the disclosure of the invention made herein, this valve controller is in the form of a weighted member pivoted to swing on trunnions and provided with a bearing surface arranged to bear directly upon the valve. This bearing surface is curved as the segment of a circle whose center corresponds to the center 'of pivotal support of the controller, and it therefore serves durin all that part of the tilting movement of the bottle in which it engages with the valve to positively hold the valve closed in on gagement with its seat. To permit pouring of the bottle contents the bottle must therefore be tilted to a point where the segmental bearing surface of the controller will have released the valve. By making the bearing surface of a certain definite extent,the position at which the contents may be poured may be accurately determined. Usually the parts will be so proportioned as to require a substan tially complete reversal of the bottle before pouring can take place. The spherical shape of the valve affords a substantially free passage for the liquid lengthwise of the bottle neck when the valve is but slightly removed from its seat, and by providing a cavity in the controller into which the valve drops when the bottle is inverted, a substantial increase of the extent of movement of the valve may be attained. Such an arrangement, if the valve is spherical, or of equivalent shape, does not require the controller to have a diameter substantially greater than the diameter of the valve, which is an important consideration because of the necessarily restricted space in the bottle neck.

Various other features will appear as this specification proceeds.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the invention in a concrete and preferred embodiment, but as this disclosure is merely illustrative of the invention, it will be understood that various changes and modifications may be made without departure from the true scope and spirit of the invention.

In the drawing: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of a bottle stopper embodying the invention, showing it in the position of use in the neck of a bottle. Fig. 2 is a sectional view illustrating the parts in the position of pouring. Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of the same taken substantially on the plane of line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view taken substantially on the plane of line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In the illustration, the valve which governs the flow of liquid is designated 7 and the so-called valve closer or controller is designated 8. The valve is spherical in form and is given buoyancy by making it hollow, and is adapted to engage a valve seat 9 formed in the annular member 10. Member 10 is shown provided with upright posts 11, which form a cage surrounding and inclosing the valve.

The valve controller is pivotally supported and weighted so as to have a swinging movement with respect to the bottle neck when the bottle is tilted, and this is accomplished in the present instance by providing it with a pair of outstanding pivot studs or trunnions 12, which engage in bear ing 13, carried by a pair of the posts 11, which are oppositely disposed. For convenience in assembling, these bearings may be made open at the top, as indicated in Fig. 4. Disengagement of the trunnions the center of support to the point of contact with the valve is therefore always the same during all that part of the tilting movement of the bottle in which the segmental surface is in engagement with the valve, and consequently during all of this swinging movement the valve will be held positively closed against its seat. The meeting rounded surfaces provide a single point of contact; the friction, therefore, is so light as not to interfere with the free swinging action of the controller. The proper weighting of the controller to give it the relative swinging movement is accomplished in the present instance by making it as a solid body with the greater bulk of the body disposed below the center of pivotal support.

Controller 8 is, as illustrated, provided with a concavity in that face which is presented to the spherical valve when the bottle is inverted, thereby quite freely opening the passage for the 'outflowing liquid, as shown in Fig. 2.

The valve and the valve controller are protected from interference, in the form of the invention-here shown, by providing a guard 16, which entirely covers the valve controller and is provided with openings 17 in its side to permit escape of the liquid. This guard may be secured at its lower end to the upper ends of the uprights 11, which constitute the valve cage.

The bottle stopper may be made either as an integral part of the bottle or else it may be made as a separate unit to be afterward inserted in the bottle neck. The form illustrated is of the latter type, the stopper being shown seated in the bottle neck 17-, against an annular shoulder 18, and as secured in place in the neck by a lock ring 19 carried by the stopper and adapted to spring into engagement with a groove 20 in the inside wall of the neck. Une or more washers 21 of cork or similar material may be provided "to assist in holding the stopper in place and The valve is thus controlled positively, and

being allowed to open only in a position where it is impossible to fill the bottle, a guarantee against refilling is provided. if at this time when the valve is open, in the reversed position of the bottle, it should be attempted to refill the bottle, the valve being buoyant will rise upon the liquid into engagement with its seat and prevent any flow of liquid past the same.

What I claim is 1. The combination with a bottle of a spherical valve controlling the outflow of the contents of the bottle, and a weighted valve controller pivoted to swin with respect to the bottle when t-he bott e is tilted and arranged to engage the spherical valve and hold it closed during a part'of the tilting movement of the bottle, said controller 1 having a recessed face which is presented to and receives the spherical surface of the valve when the bottle is tilted to the pouring position.

2. The combination with a bottle of a valve controlling the outflow of the contents of the bottle, and a weighted valve controller pivoted to swing with respect to the bottle when the bottle is tilted and arranged to engage the valve and hold it closed during a part of the tilting movement of the bottle, said controller having a recessed face which is presented to and receives the valve when the bottle is tilted to the pouring position.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK L. SIEGEL. 

